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Bonsai handles the back office

Freelance Programming Contract

So you're a programmer entering the freelance business and looking for a work contract template for yourself and your clients. Great for you, and congratulations because not all programmers are willing to go through a treacherous road that is freelancing! For one, executing the tasks related to marketing and business accounting is almost synonymous with �hassle�. You may not be even business savvy enough to negotiate rates and close deals with potential clients, so you'll like accept the first offer laid out to you.

Unfortunately, this could potentially lead to an unsatisfying journey because underestimating the project scope in the beginning would make you believe that an entry-level rate will suffice till the end. To be fair, the project goals and expectations could have been clearer if you only knew the right way to approach it. This is where getting a Freelance Programming Contract would come in handy.

Whatever you call yourself i.e. a coder, computer scientist, hacker, or a developer, you will have to have a freelance programming contract to uphold your own Intellectual Property rights, Copyrights, non-disclosure agreements, Privacy Policy, or any other guidelines you'd want to clear up with your client(s).

Does this sound too complicated yet? Fret not, because there are ready-made templates for you to use once you sign up on Bonsai. You can then choose a contract, write your own service terms (i.e. hourly rate, fixed rate, expertise, work procedure, etc.), sign the contract electronically, and secure payment with an online payment service platform.

Once you have the contract ready, you can finally tick it off of your list-to-do! Don't forget to update it once in a while though, depending on the type of project you're going to work on. For example, as advised by SitePoint's Craig Buckler, defects and bugs in a website you've previously programmed can happen as algorithm changes over time, so clearly state in the contract that you're capable of fixing these issues rather than letting the client take the legal settlement course.